Princess Benedikte Turns Seventy

Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg celebrates her 70th birthday on April 29th. The Princess is a younger sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Princess Benedikte was born at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, the second daughter of the future King Frederik IX of Denmark and his wife, Princess Ingrid of Sweden, and has a younger sister, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. The Princess was baptised at the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen on May 24th, and given the names Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid. Her father became King of Denmark in April 1947 following the death of King Christian X.

In February 1968, Princess Benedikte married the German Prince Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg at the Fredensborg Palace Church. The couple have three children: Hereditary Prince Gustav, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie.

Currently, Princess Benedikte is ranked eleventh in the line of succession to the Danish throne; her children, however, are not in line as they never took up permanent residence in Denmark before they reached adulthood.

Princess Benedikte regularly attends most Danish Royal Court events and often represents her sister at official events.